I love you Mijo
by Tris Firestone
Summary: The Machine Shop Accident...in the heroic Esperanza Valdez's P.O.V. Oneshot.


**Okay -so I wrote this almost 2 years ago (with a little bit of editing recently) because I fell in love with Leo Valdez (and who didn't?) and his strange childhood. We already know the story in Leo's P.O.V., so I wanted to include Leo's mom's as well.**

 **Please -let me know what you think.**

 **R &R!**

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"Mijo, it's time to go," I called out. My little boy Leo turned around his warm brown eyes smiling and bright.

"Did you finish?" Leo asked curiously staring at the prototype. He jumped up and down excitedly.

'Yes, Mijo, it's done," I said smiling down at his cute, little, barely-8 years-old face. Leo put his arms around me and we squeezed each other as tight as we could.

"You'll finally get a break," he whispered to me unable to hold back a smile. I easily returned it.

"Hopefully," I said giving his hands one last final squeeze.

I started cleaning up around the workshop and Leo joined in. He had been practically raised in the shop and knew what everything was called, how it was used, and where it went. I grabbed my bags and Leo stubbornly refused to let me take all of bags out to the truck by myself. In moments, he was fighting to hold all of the bags at once -the bags hiding his face.

I couldn't help laughing and took a couple of the bags from him. Leo gave me a sheepish smile, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

Leo started to lead the way out of the workshop. I started to follow behind him but found myself stopping, looking for my keys. Leo stopped too, noticing that I wasn't following him anymore.

I checked my pockets. I was sure I grabbed them...

"Wait here, Mijo, I forgot my keys. I could have sworn that I had them," I muttered to myself while giving Leo a smile as I went back for the keys.

Immediately, I glanced at my worktable, but they weren't on top of there, like I expected. Hastily, I patted my pockets again. I felt them.

Smiling with annoyance and satisfactory, I started back to the door when it suddenly locked.

Not smiling anymore, I dropped my bags and raced to the door. I tried to turn the door, but I heard it rattle- suddenly locked. I tried using Morse code –I was so thankful that I taught Leo- but I didn't hear a response.

As if by a miracle, I could suddenly see through the door. I gasped amazed and saw Leo tapping Morse code on the door.

 _Are you okay? Are you okay?_ The message repeated.

I tapped back _I'm fine_ but he couldn't hear me. He continued tapping the message looking more anxious by the second.

"What?" I whispered and my heart started to race. As a kid I used to panic at the sight of losing a family member in the store. That same feeling filled me again, but I force myself to remain calm.

I forced myself to think. My keys were in my pocket. But they hadn't been in the other room with Leo. Leo was panicked, tapping on the door in Morse code -

Leo didn't lock the door.

And neither did I.

"Hephaestus, please," I begged closing my eyes, "Save our son."

When I opened my eyes again, Leo had turned around -not facing the door. He looked shocked and like he was fighting to remain calm -like I taught him, but I could see the trembling in his hands, but he stood protectively in front of the door. He started yelling, but I couldn't hear him. But even though I couldn't hear _what_ exactly he was saying, I knew that it wasn't good.

A woman appeared in my vision and for a second I thought that she looked strangely familiar. She was covered in a black cloak-like thing, hiding her face through a veil of darkness. She was constantly shifting like she was made of dust.

Could it be Leo's first monster? No -they told me that monster wouldn't be able to detect him until almost 12. He wasn't supposed to be a extremely powerful demigod. What did they want with him?

A name popped into my head that Hephaestus had told me about once.

Gaea.

Horror filled me at the thoughts of the things that Hephaestus had told me about her.

"No, not my son, take me instead!' I cried and Gaea turned to me. She must have heard me, but I couldn't imagine how.

 _A wise choice, Esperanza. A wise choice indeed._ Her voice echoed in my head so loud that my teeth chattered.

"Leo, be careful," I said slowly backing away to the door, knowing that he couldn't hear me but saying it to assure myself as he stepped into her way. I felt tears running down my face at the thought of him stepping forward to protect me.

I knew exactly what he was going to do.

I shut my eyes and pictures of smiling faces gave me the courage to speak. Leo's smiling face looked up at me.

"I love you, Mijo," I said as his hand burst into flames.

I burned.

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 **Just being curious, please tell me what you think! Please?**


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